Elena's POV

“Elena, don’t think too much,” he told me. “The business trip really has nothing to do with you.”

Which only meant it had everything to do with me.

Wind pushed against my back as I stood outside the school gates. Students were leaving in small groups, loud and energetic. I stood apart from all of it, staring into the dark campus, feeling the guilt rise slowly through my chest.

“Matthews,” I whispered, “he’s punishing you because of me, isn’t ...